Direct fluorescent lighting equipment



July 19, 1955 A. E..SPINETTA 2,713,631

DIRECT FLUORESCENT LIGHTING EQUIPMENT Filed June 50, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 g 4. INVENTOR i/vr/m/vr 5 SPY/V5774 44 4 BY 44 7% M ATTORNEY 7 July 19, 1955 s T 2,713,631

DIRECT FLUORESCENT LIGHTING EQUIPMENT Filed June 50, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fl/v r/m/vr F. SP/NET m ATTORNEY United States Patent Anthony E. Spinetta,

Corporation,

ork

Application June 30, 1954, Serial No. 440,377 3 Claims. (Cl. 240-51.11)

Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Solux New York, N. Y., a corporation of New The present invention relates to direct lighting equipment and is more particularly directed toward direct lighting equipment designed lamps for light sources and ceiling.

Where direct lighting equipment is suspended below a structural ceiling, difliculties frequently arise in the mounting of the fixtures because of interference between suspended pipes, ducts, wireways and the like, as well as the supports for a false ceiling, and the lighting fixture structure, particularly when the fixtures are located where they should be for proper illumination of the work area and with suitable ceiling pattern.

The present invention relates to lighting equipment which, while suitable for general use and installation as recessed lighting equipment, has provisions whereby it can be mounted in the optimum location, notwithstanding the necessity of having pipes, ceiling supporting members and the like, extend across the fixtures between the ceiling line and the lamp level.

to use elongated fluorescent for recessed mounting in the To make it possible to accommodate such extraneous portions of the reflecting trough parts, the lower side are formed in such a manner that wherever an obstruction is to be accommodated, a portion of the material of the trough is provided along its lower edge with strips which can easily be broken away from the remainder of the reflector.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved direct lighting fixtures in which the socket carrying members and wireway members are secured to the body of the reflector in an inexpensive and expeditious manner.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating the prevent invention, one embodiment in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In the drawings: t

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the assembled reflector with lamp sockets, the lamps being omitted;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a fragment of the reflector together with a socket carrier and a fragment of the wiring channel;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, showing the parts in assembled position;

Figure 4 is a perspective view taken from underneath and diagrammatically illustrating the reflector assembled with the supports for a hung ceiling;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the support of the reflector and lighting fixture parts from the members which support the hung ceiling; v

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, illustrating the reflector supported directly from the superstructure;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic inverted plan view illustrating the relation of the continuous row of fixtures and the ceiling supporting structure;

Figure 8 is a vertical section taken on the line 88 ice of Figure 3, illustrating the assembly of the socket holder and reflector and also illustrating the ceiling supports and reflector;

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a perspective view illustrating the construction shown in Figures 8 and 9; and

Figure 11 is a fragmentary view similar to a portion of Figure 8 illustrating the accommodation of a pipe or other obstruction extending across the reflector.

In the drawings an elongated sheet metal reflector is indicated generally by the letter R. This reflector has an overall length equal to normal lamp length, for example, 24 inches or 48 inches. As shown in the drawings, the reflector R has a wide, flat top wall 10, downwardly and outwardly flaring side walls 11, 11. Near the lower edge of the side walls the metal is bent outwardly as shown at 12 to form flat, downwardly facing which the reflector is made is still in the flat condition, it has been punched through to provide a number of slits or cuts 14 which do not extend all the way to the outer edge of the blank (or lower edge of the reflector side walls). The outer surface of each reflector side wall is preferably weakened by a score line 15 cut into the material at the level of the upper end of the cuts or slits 14.

The reflector profile is uniform and continuous from end to end and the vertical slits or cuts are so narrow as not to permit of an appreciable light loss through leakage of light through the same. The optical characteristics of the reflector are therefore unimpaired by the provision of the cuts or slits referred to, and as there is material along the lower margin of the reflector below the cuts 14,- as shown in the drawings, the rigidity of the reflector is not substantially affected by the cuts.

To facilitate the securement of the sockets, ballasts and the installation of wiring, the top of the reflector near its ends and its outermost side edges is provided with prongs 20, which are spaced below the lower face of the top wall of the reflector, as more clearly indicated in Figure 8. Socket carriers 21, 21a support a plurality of sockets 22 and starters 23 (where starters are employed). The socket carriers 21' and 21a have upwardly bent ends 24, 24 which carry inwardly extending flanges 25, 25. These flanges are spaced the right amount to pass between the prongs 20, 20 and the lower surface of the top wall 10 of the reflector.

The socket carriers are normally left open along the edge which is to be toward the end of the reflector and have upwardly extending flanges 26, 26 along the op posite edge. The socket carriers 21, 2111, together with the sockets 22, starters 23 and wiring harness (not shown) can be preassembled on the bench. The ballasts, such as indicated at 27 may be secured to the under face of the reflector. With a four foot reflector these ballasts may be in tandem, as indicated whereas with a two foot unit with four lamps, the ballasts can be placed side by side.

In installing the wired parts the two socket carriers with associated wiring are placed in the upside down reflector and each is moved from position as indicated by dot-dash lines, Figure 3, toward the end of the reflector so the flanges pass under the prongs 20. The wiring is then connected with the ballasts and a cover or trough 30 secured in place by bolts 31 and nuts 32, shown in Figure 2. This trough covers the ballasts, conceals the wiring and ensures proper spacing of the socket carriers andsockets.

Where the end of the fixture is to be closed, as indicated at the left of Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, an end or cross plate 33 is secured in place by rivets or screws 34, as indicated. At the right of Figure 1, no such end plate is indicated, for where the fixtures are continuous, such end plates are not necessary.

The lighting fixture unit including the reflector, lamp socket, socket carriers, ballasts, wiring cover member and end plates (where used) may be completed, wired and boxed for shipment at the fixture factory and the fixtures are suitable for use either as open fixtures or as recessed fixtures. to form a continuous row recessed above a false ceiling is illustrated in Figures 4 to 10.

In Figure 5 the structural ceiling is indicated at 40. Suspension devices 41, such as wires, straps and the like, commonly used for the purpose, are employed to support transverse members indicated at 42, and these transverse members in turn support, by means of ties, hooks or the like, indicated at 43', longitudinally extending runners 43. The runners and cross members form a grid below the structural ceiling which is adapted to support the ceiling surfacing material 44 and provide long open spaces for the lighting equipment.

Where the fixtures are to be supported from the runners 43 as indicated in Figures 5 and 8 to 10, inclusive, the

installer, with shears or snips can make cuts which continue the cuts 14 in the reflector walls down to the lower edge of the reflector, thereby freeing the requisite strip or strips so that they can be bent outwardly and upwardly to clear the obstruction. The strips may be readily broken off, if desired, because of the score line 15. In this manner holes or openings are provided to accommodate the obstructions such as the transverse members 42 or the pipes 42, Figure 11. These obstructions may occur at various places lengthwise of the run of fixtures, depending upon the particular conditions arising at the site of installation. The reflectors may rest on the runners without being fastened to them, or the reflectors may be fastened to the runners, as desired. The lamps L may be passed up between the cross members and shifted into position.

As shown in Figure 6 the fixtures may be secured to the structural ceiling 40 by pendant hangers 50 and the cross members 42 and longitudinal members 43 supported from the structural ceiling, as before. The arrangement shown in Figure 6 is suitable for use where the lighting fixtures are installed first, and the false ceiling installed later.

What is claimed is:

'1. In combination, two socket carriers, each made of sheet metal and having an elongated bottom portion,

relatively short, upwardly extending ends provided with flanges extending toward one another and upwardly extending, laterally spaced side flanges along one side edge of the bottom portion so as to form an elongated wireway, lamp sockets secured to the edge of the bottom portion opposite the side flanges, a reflector having longitudinally spaced pairs of downwardly offset prongs opposite one another and spaced transversely to receive The installation of such fixtures the first mentioned flanges and spaced longitudinally slightly less than normal lamp length so as to space the sockets to accept the lamps, and a wireway forming trough extending between the socket carriers and opening into the socket carriers between the side flanges thereof.

2. A direct lighting fixture comprising a reflector having a flat horizontal top wall of extended width so that a plurality of pairs of rectilinear fluorescent lamps may be placed side by side below the said top wall, the top Wall having near each side edge thereof downwardly struck prongs spaced less than lamp length and with the prongs opposite one another and facing such edge and being slightly below the level of the reflector top wall, two socket carriers each having flanges facing one another spaced to receive the opposite prongs and slidable between the prongs and reflector top wall, the carriers also having bottom portions spaced below the flanges and flanges extending up from the bottom portions to the reflector top wall to thereby form a transverse wireway, lamp sockets secured to the bottom portions of the socket carriers, along the edge opposite the upwardly extending flanges, and a longitudinally extending wiring channel member connecting the two socket carriers to hold them at a fixed spacing along the reflector.

3. A direct lighting fluorescent lighting fixture for elongated fluorescent lamps, comprising an inverted trough-shaped reflector with a flat upper wall and downwardly extending side walls and of nominal larnp length, the upper wall of the reflector at each end having downwardly struck, laterally extending prongs and below the level of the lower face of the top of the reflector, two elongated socket carriers extending crosswise of the reflector each having a bottom wall, upwardly extending end walls, and flanges at the top of the end walls which extend inwardly to be slidably received between the prongs and the upper reflector wall, whereby the socket carriers are supported from the reflector, the carriers being open along the remote edges of the bottom walls thereof and carrying downwardly extending lamp sockets, a longitudinally extending channel secured to the two socket carriers to hold them in position, the channel being adapted to form a cover for lamp ballasts carried by the reflector and a wireway between the ballasts and socket carriers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

